Telangana demands GRMB to stop AP’s Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project

Calls on the Board to immediately halt AP’s actions, citing breaches of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, and Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award of 1980

Hyderabad: Reiterating its objection to the Godavari-Banakacherla (G-B) Link Project proposed by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana government has accused the AP government of moving forward with the controversial Rs 80,112-crore initiative without necessary approvals and in violation of water-sharing agreements.

In a strongly worded communication, Telangana has called on the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) to immediately halt Andhra Pradesh’s actions, citing breaches of the AP Reorganisation Act (APRA), 2014, and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980.

The G-B Link Project aims to divert over 200 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Godavari river water from Polavaram to Rayalaseema via the Bollapalli reservoir and Banakacherla regulator, interlinking the Godavari, Krishna, and Penna rivers.

Telangana argued that the project threatens its water rights and lacks mandatory clearances from the Central Water Commission (CWC), GRMB, Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), and the Apex Council. The State has repeatedly raised these concerns through official channels, including letters from the Engineer-in-Chief (General), the Principal Secretary to the government, the Irrigation Minister, and Chief Minister who also wrote to the Union Minister of Jal Shakti on the issue.

During the 17th GRMB meeting on April 7, 2025, Andhra Pradesh’s Engineer-in-Chief (Water Resources) stated that the project was still in the conceptual stage, with a feasibility report yet to be prepared and no concrete details available. However, recent media reports suggest that Andhra Pradesh was accelerating efforts, planning to submit a pre-feasibility report for discussion at the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog on May 24, 2025, in New Delhi.

The report also highlighted ongoing land surveys in villages affected by the proposed Bollapalli Reservoir in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district, raising alarm in Telangana about unilateral actions. Telangana has sharply criticized the GRMB Secretariat for its inaction, accusing it of failing to share critical project details received from Andhra Pradesh, despite repeated requests. The state alleges that the GRMB has neglected its core mandate under Section 85(8)(d) of the APRA, 2014, which requires the board to appraise new projects on the Godavari and Krishna rivers and ensure they do not violate existing tribunal awards or impact water availability for projects completed or initiated before the state’s bifurcation.

In a letter to GRMB Chairman AK Pradhan, Telangana’s Irrigation Engineer-in-Chief G Anil Kumar demanded that Andhra Pradesh be restrained from advancing the G-B Link Project in any form, including conducting land surveys or issuing tenders.